Filing cabinet with tiltable compartment



May 6, 1947. J. w. PAXTON ET AL FILING CABINET WITH T-ILTABLE GOMPARTMENT Filed April 24, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 6, 194?,

.1 w. PAXTON ET AL FILING CABINET WITH TILTABLE CQMPARTMENT Filed April 24, 1943 22 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 6, 1947 FILING CABINET WITH TILTABLE COLIPARTMENT John Warren Paxton, and George Noble Paxton,

Bloomington,

and Irving Richard Cornish,

Eimhurst, 111.; Arlie L. Paxton and The National Bank of Bloomington, Bloomington, 111., executors of said George Noble Paxton, de-

ceased Application April 24, 1943, Serial No. 484,392

This invention relates to filing cabinets of the type commonly known as side filing.

The main objects of this invention are to Provide improved means for tiltably mounting the container in the open side of a casing for swinging between closed and open positions; to provide such an improved container-mounting means as will retain the container firmly in its closed and open positions; to provide an improved contamer-mounting means of this kind which advances the container outwardly horizontally of the casing when the container is shifted to its open position and retracts the container horizontally into the casing when it is shifted into its closed position; to provide an improved contamer-mounting means embodying all these advantages and which permits the container to be readily inserted into or removed from the cabinet but which insures the connection of the container to the cabinet against accidental displacement or removal; to provide an improved follower mechanism for filing cabinets of this kind; and to provide an improved structure for side-filing cabinets which is simple and economical in construction, easy and positive in operation, and which can be constructed of either wood, metal, or their appropriate substitutes.

In the embodiments of the invention as herein shown:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a two-drawer filing cabinet employin the preferred embodiment of mounting mechanism, the lower container being shown in its open position and the upper container being shown in its closed position;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the preferred container-mounting mechanism taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a similar View taken on the line 4 l of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the lamina which forms a part of the end sections of the container for the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the two parts which make up the cradle block used in connection with the container-mounting shown in Figs. 1 to 4; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the link connection constituting the container-mounting 3 Claims. (Cl. 45-2) The bottom-back section 24 is preferably formed of two pieces spaced apart so as to providea lateral slot 21 along the middle portion of theers l4, supported therein by means of a mounting mechanism 15 whereby the container may be conveniently swung or tilted between its open and closed. positions. Each of the containers [4 is equipped with a follower l6 whereby the contents are held in-proper vertical position regardless of the quantity of material in the container.

The casing [3 may be constructed of wood or metal, or any of their appropriate substitutes. It"

comprises the usual sides I1, back 18, a top l9 and a bottom 26. The front of the casing i provided with top, bottom, and intermediate reinforcing cross slats 2| spaced so as to divide the casing into compartments for the reception of one or more containers [4. These various parts of the casing are reinforced by means of braces 22 placed at strategic points in the structure.

The container 14 is made up of a front-bottom part 23, a bottom-back part 24, and end or side members 25.

The front-bottom part 23, when the container is in its closed position, fits within the openings formed between the sides I! and the reinforcing cross slats 2|. Its rear edge is recessed at 23A to.

provide for the reception of extensions on the or handle 26 is arranged near the upper'edge of the member 23.

bottom-back section extending throughout the length thereof. This construction provides support fora follower I6 of the type shown in Patent No. 2,364,912.

The side or end members 25 may be of one to provide the recesses 30 and 3| required to re-" ceive the link mechanism and to provide shou1-- ders capable of coacting with the link mechanism in limiting the swinging movement of the container as will more clearly hereinafter appear.

This section 29 thus formedmay be suitably secured on either side of a section 29A to form either a right hand or left hand end for the container. The right angle sides of-the section 29A fit against and are secured to adjacent edges of.

3 the front-bottom section I3 and the bottom-back section 24.

The preferred link container-mounting mechanism comprisesa; pair .of crossed-links and 33 interposed between the end members ofthe container l4 and the inner side walls [1 of the casing l3. The links are recessed at 36 through;

out the greater portion of their lengths so that they may overlap, as most clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and thus operate in practically the same plane in the limited space between the container I has an extension protruding rearwardly through the slot 2'] in the bottom-back 24. To this extension is attached a T-shaped block 58 which enends and the casing sides. The-upper orouter" ends of the links 32 and 33 are received in therecesses and 3| respectively of the outer lamina 29 and are pivoted to the inner'la'mina 29A at 34 and 35. The lower ends of the links 32 and 33 are pivotally connected at 3'! and 38 re spectively to the adjacent inner face of the casing sides l1.

Cradle blocks or members 39 are secured to the inner faces of the sides ll of the casing so that'the'recesses 40 and-4f formedin said blocks receive the inner or lower ends of the links 32 and 33 respectively. As shown in Fig. 6, these cradle blocks'are' preferably made up of a laminatedstructure comprising two pieces. Thus formed, the'two pieces may be assembled with the parts in the relationship shown in Fig. 6 or just the'reverse thereof in order to provide cradle blocks for either the'left or right hand sides of the container M. v

In this connection, it will be noted that the formation of the slot'30 in the lamina 29 provides" shoulders 42 and 43Which, in the absence of other means, would contact with the sides of the lime 35 to aid in respectively limiting the movement of thecontain'er II when shifted into its closed or open position in the casing; In like manner, the recess 3| provides shoulders and 45 for coacting with the sides of the link 33' for the samepurpose. Moreover, the recesses and H in the cradle blocks 39' provide shoulders 46 and 4| that could have similar coaction with the adjacent sides of the links 32 and 33 for assisting in the extreme movements of the container I4 toward its closed and open positions in the casing;

'To' more; positively insure the closed and open positioning of the container one or more blocks 48 are attached to the inner faces of the c'asing sides I! so that the upper and lower ends thereof provide abutmentsfl and in. The abutment a9, engaged by theinner edge of the bottom-back 24, arrests the' backwardswing of the container H and; upportsit in itsclosed position. The abut: m'ent 50, engaged by the upper rear edge ofthe' end member 25, arrests the outward swing of the container I41 and supports it in its open position. ,for any reason the block 48 should become dis r' laced' or the ab'u'tm'ents 4'9 and 5!! become wornaway any extreme movements of the container would be checked by the; link'andshoulder contacts hereinbefore mentioned. I,

The crossing of the links 32 and 33 and the placing ofthe, pivotal" connectionsis such that the pivotal relationship of the container l4 and casing 13 shifts when the container is swung between its open and closed positions. This results' in the container being advanced horizon tally in its casing compartment as it is swung downlwardiy muses open position. This makes the contents of the container a bit more accessible than would be the case if the container were mounted on a pivot fixedrelative to these parts. Obviously. therefore, when the container is swung gag'esthe back face of the bottom-back member 24 and in cooperation with the plate 56 grips the members 24 for positioning the follower in the retainer; The plate is also provided with an extension 59 on its outer edge disposed in the plane of the plate 56. The abutting edges of the plate or member 56' and the extension 59 are angularly disposed so as to provide shoulders inclined to the vertical. Likewise, the plate or member 55 has recesses 62 disposed at the same angle as said shoulders. Head pins secured to the plate, or member 55 extend through these recesses 62 and retain the plates in their shiftable relationship. Springs interposed between the pins and the bottom of the recess 62 normally tend to force the plate 56 downwardly with regard to the plate 55. The inclined abutting shoulders consequently force theinner end of the plate 56 against the bottom-back whereby the follower is firmly held in its position in the container l4, Elongated hand holes or openings (see 65) are formed near the upperouter corners ofthe plates 55 and 56, Normally the springs (above mentioned, but not shown) shift the plates so that these openings are out of full registration with each other. When the hand is inserted through the registering portions of the openings, the plate 56 may be pulled up against the action of the spring to' cause; the release of the grip of the plate 56 and block 58 on the bot tom-back member 34 so as to permit theready shifting of the follower in the container I4 Variations and modifications in the details of the structure and arrangement ofthe parts may be.resorted to within the spirit and coverage of thejappended claims.

We claim"; I l l. A filing cabinet comprising",- a casinghaving a vertical front provided with a rectangular opening therein, a swinging side-filing storagecb tainer mounted in said casing and having a rec tangular face panel which in normal storage position of said container extends in a vertical plane and serves as a closure for said opening, a pair of container-supporting links interposed between each end of said container andthe adjacent casing wall, one link of each pair being pivotedat one end to said casing adjacent to the front thereof near and above the bottom of said opening and with its other end pivoted to said container at a point transversely remote from said face panel, the other link of each pair being-pivoted to said casing inwardly adjacent to the firstmentioned pivot of said one link and with its other endpivoted to said container intermediate said face panel and a vertical median plane through said container, said pairs of links coacting to permit saidcontainer to be swung outwardly in said opening through an angleof to an access position in which said panel extends horizontally through andacross the bottonr of said opening so as to locate a substantial portion of said container inside of said casing. i

2. A filing cabinet comprising, a casing having a vertical front provided with a rectangular open-'- therein. a swinging adenine storage ss tainer mounted in said casing and having a rectangular face panel which in normal storage position of said container extends in a vertical plane and serves as a closure for said opening, a pair of container-supporting links interposed between each end of said container and the adjacent casing wall, one link of each pair being pivoted at one end to said casing adjacent to the front thereof near the bottom of said opening and extending rearwardly transversely of said face panel when said casing is in its storage position and having the other end pivoted to said container end adjacent the edge thereof opposite said face panel, the other link of each pair being pivoted to said casing inwardly adjacent to the first mentioned pivot of said one link and extending upwardly when said container is in its storage position and having the other end pivoted to said container intermediate said face panel and a vertical median plane through said container, said pairs of links co-acting to permit said container to be swung outwardly in said opening through an angle of 90 to an access position in which said panel extends horizontally through and across the bottom of said opening so as to locate a substantial portion of said container inside of said casing.

3. A filing cabinet comprising, a casing having a vertical front provided with a rectangular opening therein, a swinging side-filing storage container mounted in said casing and having a rec tangular face panel which in normal storage position of said container extends in a vertical plane and serves as a closure for said opening, a pair of container-supporting links interposed between each end of said container and the adjacent casing wall, one link of each pair being pivoted at one end to said casing adjacent to the front thereof near the bottom of said opening and with its other end pivoted to said container at a point transversely remote from saidface panel, the other link of each pair being pivoted to said casing inwardly adjacent to the first-mentioned pivot of said one link and with its other end pivoted to said container intermediate said face panel and a vertical median plane through said container, said pairs of links co-acting to permit said container to be swung outwardly in said opening through an angle of to an access position in which said panel extends horizontally through and across the bottom of said opening so as to locate a substantial portion of said container inside of said casing, and shoulders on said casing and container co-acting with said links for limiting the swing of said container to locate said face panel in its vertical and horizontal positions.

JOHN WARREN PAXTON.

GEORGE NOBLE PAX'ION.

IRVING RICHARD CORNISH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,148,890 Wunderlich Feb. 28, 1939 1,929,095 Hutchings Oct. 3, 1933 349,643 Gould Sept. 21, 1886 322,965 Powell July 28, 1885 872,662 Malone Dec. 3, 1907 2,160,267 Griswold May 1939 1,051,108 Hemstreet Jan. 21, 1913 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 23,686 Britain 1902 

